Feasibility of a tailored home-based exercise intervention during neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of a home-based moderate-to-vigorous intensity, phased (introduction, intermediate, maintenance), exercise prescription in breast cancer patients receiving cardiotoxic neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: Nineteen breast cancer patients were randomized to intervention or control for the duration of chemotherapy (16-24 weeks). The intervention was one aerobic exercise session at 80-90% VO for 25 min/week and 65%-75% VO for ≥ 50 min/week.

Testing the acceptability and feasibility of a tablet-based supportive cancer platform for patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Background: Although metastatic breast cancer (MBC) survival is improving, symptoms remain a significant burden. Returning to a cancer center for symptom management can be challenging. Technology-enabled supportive care platforms are worth exploration.

Higher serum PD-L1 level predicts increased overall survival with lapatinib versus trastuzumab in the CCTG MA.31 phase 3 trial.

Background: The purpose of this retrospective biomarker study of the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) MA.31 randomized phase 3 trial (lapatinib vs trastuzumab) of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) was to evaluate the prognostic and predictive biomarker utility of pretreatment serum programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) levels.

Methods: CCTG MA.

Doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and cisplatin based chemotherapy for the treatment of angiosarcoma: Two case reports.

Introduction: Angiosarcoma is a rare soft tissue malignancy of endothelial cells, generally associated with a poor prognosis. Due to its rarity, randomized trials are difficult to conduct and a consensus on the treatment of angiosarcoma has not been reached. The role, efficacy, and timing of chemotherapy in AS treatment remain uncertain, and as stated, no large-scale trials have been able to establish definitive recommendations.

A Novel Adverse Event Associated with Olaparib Therapy in a Patient with Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Olaparib was first FDA approved for use in women with advanced ovarian cancer and germline BRCA mutations. Based on the results of subsequent research, the use of this drug has been expanded to patients with metastatic breast cancer with germline BRCA mutation. With the use of a relatively new medication and a larger patient population eligible for therapy, monitoring for novel adverse events associated with therapy is important.

Interest Among Primary Care Patients in Group Problem-Solving Gameplay for Mental Health.

Mental health programs to improve problem-solving skills and reduce stress through social gameplay can improve psychiatric outcomes, but little is known about whether adult patients are interested in using them. Primary care patients (n = 467) completed a cross-sectional survey to assess interest in using 2 types of group programs for mental health. A significantly greater percentage (23.

Efficacy of the PARP Inhibitor Veliparib with Carboplatin or as a Single Agent in Patients with Germline - or -Associated Metastatic Breast Cancer: California Cancer Consortium Trial NCT01149083.

We aimed to establish the MTD of the poly (ADP-ribose) (PAR) polymerase inhibitor, veliparib, in combination with carboplatin in germline - and -associated metastatic breast cancer (MBC), to assess the efficacy of single-agent veliparib, and of the combination treatment after progression, and to correlate PAR levels with clinical outcome. Phase I patients received carboplatin (AUC of 5-6, every 21 days), with escalating doses (50-20 mg) of oral twice-daily (BID) veliparib. In a companion phase II trial, patients received single-agent veliparib (400 mg BID), and upon progression, received the combination at MTD.

Predicting therapy response in live tumor cells isolated with the flexible micro spring array device.

Cells disseminated from primary epithelial tumors into peripheral blood, called circulating tumor cells (CTCs), can be monitored to assess metastases and to provide a surrogate marker of treatment response. Here, we demonstrate how the flexible micro spring array (FMSA) device-a novel microfluidic device that enriches CTCs by two physical parameters: size and deformability-could be used in the rational development of treatment intervention and as a method to study the fundamental biology of CTCs. Cancer cells of different origins were spiked into healthy samples of donor blood to mimic blood samples of metastatic cancer patients.

Update on clinical trials: genetic targets in breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in United States. From data of American Cancer Society from 2007 reported total of 178,480 women diagnosed with breast cancer. The death rate from breast cancer has decreased in North America over time, but still accounts for second highest cancer death, following lung cancer.

Biology of bone metastases: causes and consequences.

Breast cancer is a highly osteotropic neoplasm, and as many as 75% of patients with metastatic disease will have involvement of the bony skeleton. On radiologic examination, these metastases are predominantly osteolytic but can be osteoblastic or mixed. The mechanisms by which metastases are formed are complex, involving many steps that include angiogenesis, invasion, and proliferation in the bone microenvironment.